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How to Enhance STEM by Making It Inclusive
Add to Calendar 2019-11-14T16:45:34 2019-11-14T18:30:00 UTC How to Enhance STEM by Making It Inclusive 114 McAllister Building
Start DateThu, Nov 14, 2019
11:45 AM
to
End DateThu, Nov 14, 2019
1:30 PM
Presented By
Chandralekha Singh
Event Series:

Chandralekha Singh, Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy Director, Discipline-based Education Research Center, University of Pittsburgh

Students' motivational characteristics play an important role in their engagement and success in STEM. Sense of belonging in a physics class, self-efficacy, and views about whether intelligence in physics is “fixed” or “malleable” can affect engagement and learning. These types of concerns can especially impact the learning outcomes of women and racial/ethnic minority students and stereotype threats can exacerbate these issues. In this workshop, we will discuss prior research studies that show how different types of social psychological interventions (e.g., social belonging and growth mindset) have improved the motivation and learning outcomes of all students, especially women and underrepresented minorities in STEM fields.

Chandralekha Singh is passionate about reducing the barriers and increasing the participation of women and other under-represented groups in physics. Because these traditionally under-represented groups face many implicit and explicit obstacles in their advancement, Chandralekha has been contributing her mite to improve their participation through SEISMIC Collaboration (a collaboration among ten large public universities in the US for equity and inclusion in STEM introductory courses founded by the Sloan Foundation); through her research; serving on the board of the American Association of Physics Teachers; serving as a workshop leader for numerous workshops at national meetings and conferences; being one of two team leaders of the US delegation to the 2017 International Conference on Women in Physics; and providing more than 200 talks and workshops at conferences, colloquia and seminars. Her website states her dream is: A world where everybody has the opportunity for good education regardless of their background because education is the key to ensuring that everybody is able to contribute their best to society.